“Exploring life through fiction, together.”

What would you do in the face of certain death? In my privilege-bubbled life, it seems an enormous stretch to contemplate. And someone’s probably made their decision while you’ve been reading this.

Fiction Bite - Do Not Push

His escape pod had drifted round the arse end of nowhere as he eked his way through freeze-dried ‘food’. You’d think, between creating hyperdrive and cryosleep, they’d invent better flavours. 

The last packet lay on the floor, only a crumb of meant-to-be-strawberry left.

The button was cherry red.

If he was going to die anyway, why not see what happens?

At least it might be quick.

Quote of the Week

“Killing oneself is, anyway, a misnomer. We don't kill ourselves. We are simply defeated by the long, hard struggle to stay alive. When somebody dies after a long illness, people are apt to say, with a note of approval, "He fought so hard." And they are inclined to think, about a suicide, that no fight was involved, that somebody simply gave up. This is quite wrong.”

― Sally Brampton, Shoot the Damn Dog: A Memoir of Depression

Book of the month

The Carbon Almanac edited by Seth Godin

Final Words

 I’m a sucker for the gallant hero who lays her life down for friends/country/family/civilisation. Hard not to be when our culture puts them on a pedestal for choosing to die for the greater good.

Assuming I don’t get the choice of immortality or dying in my sleep aged 126, it seems a good way to go. Painful, probably, but reassuring to know my life will have meant something.

Yet, with war rumbling across our small blue planet, too many disagree on what’s the right cause. Too many men and women have died in and out of battle on foolish errands. And too many have taken themselves out of the equation in an attempt to increase the common good.

After millennia of religion and philosophy, it feels like we’re no closer to agreeing on one true good.

So, if it’s all up for debate anyway, what will you do when the bloke with the sickle arrives? Would you be willing to hit reply? It’d make my day to hear from you.

With Love,

Josiah

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